The Productive Smartphone Has Now Moved!

We’ve moved servers today – we are now self-hosted and moving off of the wordpress.com site. It was great while it lasted, but we intend to stick around a lot longer and wanted a space all to ourselves! Take a quick jump to our main site here: www.productivesmartphone.com. We will no longer be updating posts here, but will be sure to point you in the right direction to get you back to new home base.

We hope to see you there soon as we continue keeping you abreast of all things smartphone, and all things productivity related!

PSp

iPhone 4 or Milestone?

So I’m currently running an Android based Motorola Milestone. I like the physical keyboard and the overall interface, but can’t help but be drawn occasionally back to the iPod touch. There’s something about the fluidity of the device that has me second guessing whether or not the iPhone 4 will solve all of my productivity needs. The things I’m struggling with on Android are:

• Low Space Notification!! This leads to my text messages not coming through when there’s less than 20MB of internal memory left. It also means I can’t install more apps as the Milestone has yet to be upgraded to Froyo.
• Lack of global cut and paste. You don’t know how much you need it until it isn’t there. I struggle copying posts from Evernote to WordPress so usually have to wait until I pull out my laptop to publish.
• App selection. They just seem to be of higher quality on iOS than Android. You can find what you need, but there’s still a gap in terms of usability and design.

Thoughts? Anyone go from Android to iOS or back again?

Blackberry Smartphone Users Save Time and Increase Productivity

Blackberry Smartphone Users Save Time and Increase Productivity
By Laura Rucker

Research In Motion (RIM), producers of the Blackberry smartphone, recently hired a research firm to conduct a study on the efficiency of using the mobile device in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The study found that BlackBerry smartphone users save an average of 60 minutes a day, or five hours a week.

By focusing on the areas of saving time and increasing productivity, the survey found that the average Blackberry user saved 60 minutes a day, turning this saved time into valuable, productive time. For example, a travelling employee is able to send and read emails and communicate with co-workers and/or customers, saving them time later in the office. By saving time, productivity increased 38% for the employee as well as that of the overall team.

With as much as 50% of small business employees in Europe classified as mobile workers, the mobile smartphone industry is keeping pace with the growing number of time-saving features they are adding to the smartphones.

The survey specifically found that 40% of Blackberry smartphone users would use the extra 60 minutes a day on administration tasks, while 34% would use the time on sales and marketing activities. As for personal use of the Blackberry smartphone, 32% of users would spend the saved time to relax more. 24% would spend more time with their family and 21% would spend more time exercising.

An Irish Blackberry smartphone user, Suzanne Frazer, Sales Manager of Lir Chocolates said, “I certainly save at least five hours a week by using BlackBerry from O2. When you work for an SME you need to be able to multitask. I’m rarely in the office and would not be able to survive without my BlackBerry. I travel a lot and BlackBerry has helped me manage my time much better and helps me look professional, responsive and on top of our business. I can get through a mountain of work while relaxing with a coffee at a hotel or an airport.”

Blackberry smartphone users can also deal with time-sensitive emails and phone calls to enable them to make fast and effective decisions. Sophisticated smartphone features also guide people to make informed decisions on the go.

For more information about getting the lowest price on a Blackberry Smartphone and other Cellular Phone Models, please check out our Cellular Phones at http://www.usavetelecom.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Rucker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Blackberry-Smartphone-Users-Save-Time-and-Increase-Productivity&id=1638450

Gtasks for Android

This simple app help sync your google tasks to your Android smartphone. It is easy to use and has all the basic necessities of a to-do list: due date, reminder, category, and obviously, a simple means of marking tasks completed. The downside? Occasional quirks with repeat entries when moving tasks between categories. This is something that will likely be fixed, if it isn’t already, and a small price to pay for an app that keeps your work in the clouds. Your tasks are always accessible from your laptop or any other internet connected device.

GTasks screenshot

I have mine currently set up by categories, ensuring that each new task has the appropriate home. The app comes with a widget to allow you to view these tasks on your home screen. I don’t use this as I rely on the reminders to bring my attention to only those tasks that require my immediate attention – you may feel differently so the widget provides that flexibility depending on your workflow.

The small memory footprint of this app sealed the deal (read: android 2.1 memory issues anyone?), and makes it a staple for keeping my to-do’s in check. You can see it for yourself and read the user reviews – it’s available through the Android Market.

PSp

The 10 Best Productivity Apps For Business Professionals

Whether it’s the cooler weather, back-to-school season, or just time to get down to business, we’ve turned our attention to the best apps for business professionals. And, considering that most business professionals don’t have time to spend hours wading through the numerous ‘productivity’ apps available in the App Store, we’ve tested and compiled a list of the ten very best apps for time management, organization, and, of course, increasing productivity. Though these apps don’t prove that iPhone owners are all work and no play-they do provide some evidence that the iPhone is a functional tool for the workforce (and not just gamers). For Android users, we’ve included well-rated alternatives for most apps that are not available in the Android App marketplace.

So if it’s time to roll up your sleeves and increase productivity on the go, check out these apps-tested and recommended by yours truly:

1. Evernote & Springpad Free

Alright, alright-we’re only on the first recommendation and we’ve already thrown out two different apps-but that’s because they’re both really great and serve, well, virtually the same purpose.

Use either of these programs to quickly file and sort all of the various bits of information you encounter daily with notes in the form of text, images, and voice recordings. Both are aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. Evernote is slightly better at synchronizing desktop and mobile notes, however with Springpad you can additionally create barcode notes, and notes on what’s around you. And for the fantastic price of free, why not use them both? (Both available for iPhone and Android)

2. ListPro Free

ListPro is a pretty simple app that allows you to do just what the name suggests-create as many lists as you could ever want or need. There are several formatting options that allow you to build basic lists for grocery shopping or running errands, as well as lists that enable you to create complex maps of all the tasks related to a given project. With this app, you can streamline your to-do list for free-and never forget the milk again!

3. Calengoo $6.99

If you’re an iPhone owner that, like many of us, prefers to use Google Calendars to manage your schedule, this app is a must-have. It allows you to access and edit your Google Calendars from your iOS device. View your events for the month, the week or the day, and add tasks to be completed in the form of a checklist.

For seven bucks, this app is a bit pricey, but for the added functionality that Calengoo provides, and the ability to keep your almighty calendar with you at al times, it’s well worth the splurge. (No Android alternative is necessary-the default calendar provides the same functionality and syncs with Google Calendars. For a more advanced calendar app for Android, try Jorte-free).

4. Due $2.99

Due may actually be the simplest app ever created. The program allows you to createtasks on the fly and schedule a reminder for later. Perfect for ensuring that minor tasks are completed on time without the hassle of logging an item in your calendar. Additionally, the app includes a timer for managing time spent on routine tasks. Though not quite free, the time this app saves you will quickly make up for its minor cost.

5. Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite $7.99

If you’re helpless without your docs, this is the productivity app for you. Access, modify and share your Microsoft Office suite documents, including PDF’s, Word Documents and Excel Spreadsheets. Transfer files from your desktop to your mobile device and vice versa, and never be stuck without critical documents again. Quickoffice, available for the iPhone, as well as Android devices, isn’t cheap (as apps go), but it’s not unlikely that many professionals would shell out twice as much to have this functionality in a bind-get it now, and be prepared.

6. Read It Later Free

For anyone that does a lot of reading or researching on the job, this app is essential. Send articles and web pages directly to your mobile device with just one click. This app eliminates the need to bookmark, or save browser tabs for later-just select pages that you want to view on your mobile device, and they’ll be ready and waiting for you within the app, making the workflow much more fluid when you’re on the go. (Available for iPhone and Android)

7. TripIt Free

If your job requires you to travel-at all-this app is absolutely indispensable. Sign up and forward your flight confirmation, hotel reservation, rental car booking information-everything associated with your trip-to plans@tripit.com, and the app will create a detailed itinerary for you, storing all of your reservation information and details in a color coded, linear presentation format. While the app isn’t guaranteed to get you to the airport on time, it will definitely make your next business trip less hectic. (Available for iPhone and Android)

8. Dragon Dictation Free

This app is perfect for multitaskers. The program converts speech into text, so you can dictate e-mails, text messages and more on the fly-and stop wasting your time pecking away on a miniature keyboard. (Low quality voice to text capabilities are built into the Android OS, but for more advanced functionality try Handcent, or Chomp)

9. Text’n Drive Free

Look Ma-no hands! The opposite of Dragon Dictation, T’n D converts text to speech, reading your text messages aloud so you’re free to do more important things-like beat the traffic to work! (Android version is currently in development)

10. LinkedIn Free

Social media is becoming more essential to business professionals every day, so what better app to close on than one that keeps you connected with your network? Don’t attend another conference without this app, which allows you to instantly add new contacts to your network, and stay in contact while you’re out of the office. (Android users are limited to DroidIn-download the Lite version for free, or upgrade to Pro for $2.00).

Now that you’ve read our recommendations for the best productivity apps, don’t you have a report to get back to? In the meantime, take a few minutes to check out these apps, and give your productivity a boost!

********** DevelopmentNow is a new media consulting company that specializes in building integrated mobile web solutions and native apps. For more information on mobile web technology and the services we offer, give us a call at , or visit our webpage, http://www.developmentnow.com. Erin maintains the DevelopmentNow company blog. Her insightful reports on mobile marketing trends serve to inform brands, businesses and individuals of how to take advantage of the growing new media industry. Featuring professional recommendations on how to mobilize your business, engage mobile users and leverage your small screen presence to maximize ROI, these tips can help jumpstart your mobile strategy. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_M_Kelley

We’re Back!

After a lengthy hiatus, we are back in hopes of being able to provide informative posts on how to use portable technology to enhance your productivity! And there’s no better time for it as the smartphone market continues to take off – 25% of phone sales in Q2 2010 in the US were accounted for by smartphones – and a slew of mobile OS makers continue evolution on their platform.

We’ve moved on up from outdated windows mobile devices to a more relevant Motorola Milestone (a.k.a. GSM version of the Motorola Droid) running Android 2.1. It has been a loooooong wait up until now for the official upgrade to 2.2 Froyo, but Motorola has advertised a Q1, 2011 rollout for which we won’t hold our breath. In the meantime, anyone rocking the same device wishing to try an early build of Froyo, head on over to XDA developers here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=810726

If you’re in the US and have been thinking of picking up one of these devices, you can check it our here on Amazon.com: Motorola Milestone Unlocked Phone Quad Band GSM with 5 MP Camera, MP3, gps navigation- International Version with No Warranty (Black)

PSp